Thread: CableLabs names 15Mbps as "safe harbor bitrate" for MPEG2

CableLabs names 15Mbps as "safe harbor bitrate" for MPEG2 HD VOD

Posted Jan 31st 2007 11:17AM by
Darren Murph



Filed under:
Industry


,
Regulatory



We already know how
fond CableLabs is


of HD VOD content, so it makes perfect sense that the gurus behind the scenes are aiming to provide media that satisfies the discerning eye of the HD viewer. Considering that nearly every HDTV owner has a sneaking suspicion that they're not getting the bandwidth they're paying for at times, CableLabs new specifications hope to ensure that
HD VOD


viewers don't get the "
HD Lite


" experience. While the recommended SD VOD rate remained steady at just 3.75Mbps, CableLabs has named 15Mbps the "safe harbor bitrate" to allow all forms of HD VOD content (including talking heads and fast-moving action films) to be seen at a quality that represents what HDTV should be about, including 5.1 audio and an absence of pixelation. Of course, these latest suggestions are entirely based on MPEG2 transfers, and could very well change if
MPEG4


starts running the show, but at the very least it's good to see someone making sure we get our due bandwidth.